A true pioneer in the Galenica network

In November 2022, we acquired the pharmacy Bahnhof Apotheke in Langnau in Emmental, which is not only a successfully run pharmacy in an attractive location – it is also the leading provider of formulations for medical cannabis products. Cannaplant, the company established by Manfred Fankhauser and his wife Barbara, has grown steadily in recent years and now serves between 300 and 400 long-term patients in Switzerland.

Medical cannabis therapy can be a valuable option, especially for severely ill people. With effect from 1 August 2022, the ban on cannabis for medical purposes in the Narcotics Act (NarcA) was lifted. Doctors no longer need a special licence to prescribe cannabis. In addition, a patient no longer needs to have exhausted all treatment options before cannabis can be prescribed. As a result, the active substance is likely to find its way into the standard therapy set of doctors and to be increasingly in demand by patients.

According to estimates, around 100,000 people in Switzerland use cannabis as medication. Due to the legal restrictions on access, it was usually necessary to resort to procurement on the black market – with considerable health risks. Thanks to the change in the law, medical cannabis can now be prescribed in the same way as other medications or narcotics.

We are convinced of the potential of medical cannabis as a promising therapy for a growing group of patients for whom medical cannabis therapy is a valuable alternative. We look forward to fulfilling our customer promise to support people in all situations on their journey to health and well-being even more comprehensively in the future.

Manfred Fankhauser is the Swiss pioneer in the field of medical cannabis. We are pleased that he and his team continue to support us with their many years of experience and broad expertise in cannabis therapies.